This Fabulous 5 and a half mile walk starts at the National Trust Car Park on Midgehole Road at Hebden Bridge. Postcode to use for Sat Nav is HX7 7AA, this takes you on to Midgehole Lane, The car park is at the end of the road, about half a mile along. It costs £5 a day to park unless you are a member of The National Trust, in which case it is free. Be aware this car park fills up very quickly at weekends. Look to get there before 10 am to be sure of finding a parking space.

From the car park walk back to the road and pick out the footpath sign that points you towards Gibson Mill, drop down to the The River (Hebden Water and turn right (upstream), after a short distance you will see a path with stone steps heading straight down to the river bank. Take this and meander superbly along a narly, rocky root strewn path that is just superb as it follows the river. The way is marked with red and white footpath markers. Just keep the river on your left and you cant go wrong.

You will soon arrive at Gibson Mill, stop here for an ice cream, tea or coffee or just a have a sit down. There are also toilets here. Continue past the mill, don’t go over the bridge. At the rear of the mill you will see the old Mill Pond, great for a photo on a nice day. Continue on past the pond and you soon approach Hardcastle Crags on your left. A signpost points up a track towards the top of the crags. Definately worth going up, the path bears right and slowly climbs the rocky path to the top of the crags. A panoramic view of the valley awaits. The way down the other side is pretty steep and requires some scrambling. Alternatively, retrace your steps back to the main path and turn left.

Back on the main path, continue past the crags on your left, shortly the path forks, take the right fork and head steadily uphill and out of the woods. This path meets anther track merging from the right, continue straight on and you will soon cross a steam via a bridge with a low stone wall on either side. Continue on until you reach the small hamlet of Walshaw, just before the hamlet and pretty much level with farm buildings on your left take a sharp right turn (almost doubling back), through a field gate and head on up the track and recross the stream you crossed a few minutes ago. Through a gate on the other side of the steam and then gently upwards following the stone wall on your left.

The hill on your left is Shackleton Knoll and after about 15 minutes of walking a gate takes you through the wall, the path continues in the same direction with the wall now on your right. The path now starts to descend with a ruined farmhouse on your right before reaching another at the bottom were a track runs from right to left. Turn right and immediately left down a rugged path towards Crimson Dean Brook. This rocky path drops steeply passed more ruins before meeting another path coming from the right. Here go left and within two minutes you will be at the wonderful Lumb Hole Waterfall. A great place to stop for your picnic, or even take a dip in the pool below the waterfall. After admiring the scene retrace your steps back to were the path you just came on goes back uphill, don’t go uphill but go straight on the bracken (If it’s summer) following the clear and rugged path as it contours the hill side above the Brook. The path passes to the right of a stone cottage, (big cottage) to meet the access track to this remote house. Follow this up, quite steeply to meet another track coming from the right. Continue straight on and now steadily downhill all the way back to the car park.